This invention relates to a new and improved combination umbrella and golf ball retriever.
Combination umbrella and golf ball retriever is known to the prior art and is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,681. The umbrella of such typical prior art combination typically includes a tubular umbrella shaft provided with a handle at the lower end and with an umbrella canopy at the upper end supported underneath by a plurality of radially disposed ribs having their outer ends connected to the outer edge of the canopy. The inner end of the ribs are mounted pivotally to a stationary member fixed at the upper end of the umbrella shaft and the central portion of the canopy is also typically mounted to this stationary member. The umbrella further typically includes a plurality of braces having their upper ends mounted pivotally to the ribs intermediate the ends thereof and having their lower ends mounted pivotally to a sliding member surrounding the umbrella shaft for being moved upwardly along the shaft into a locked position to open the umbrella canopy and for being unlocked from the shaft and moved downwardly along the shaft to close the umbrella canopy. Typically the shaft of the golf ball retriever is comprised of a plurality of telescopically interconnected tubular members nested within the umbrella shaft and which tubular members are telescopically extendable outwardly of the umbrella shaft to provide a golf ball retriever shaft having a circular or cup-shaped member for retrieving golf balls residing in water, in bushes or at a distance from the golfer which prevents the golfer or his caddie from retrieving the golf ball by extending his hand and arm. In the combination umbrella and golf ball retriever disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,338 the golf ball retriever shaft extends telescopically inwardly and outwardly of the handle end of the umbrella shaft.
Typically the structure of the prior art combination umbrella and golf ball retriever is rather complex so much so that the cost of manufacture, and hence the sale price, are undesirably high.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a new and improved combination umbrella and golf ball retriever which is relatively uncomplicated in design so as to provide relatively inexpensive manufacture with an attendant reduced sales price.